The Note
by MikoSwordmaiden01
Summary: *New Chapter!* Finally the beast takes a half step forward, the folds of his black shroud following his every move like tendrils of thick black smoke. "My name is Kurosaki…. Kurosaki the shinigami." He replied.. A Shinigami? Now it became clear why he had come for the Death Note...
1. Prologue

**The Note**

By MikoSwordmaiden

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach nor do I own Death Note

**Author's note: **The idea for this story just came to me randomly one day and I immediately started searching for a story that may have already claimed this idea. After finding NOTHING like it I decided I'd write a small prologue and see what sort of feedback I get from you guys on this.

The idea is.. What if Rukia Kuchiki, a typical lonely yet brilliant high school student picked up a Death Note? What if Ichigo was the God of Death who possessed the Notebook? The inspiration came from seeing Ichigo's fully hollowfied form (you know, the one with the looong orange hair and the big horns?). I thought…'Dang, he LOOKS like a shinigami from Death Note!' THAT'D be an AWESOME STORY!

Just to be clear, I DO NOT intend for this to be a full out "cross-over" story. "Cross-over" stories (in my opinion) take existing characters from two different stories and combine them into one story. In THIS story however I am combining the *ideas* (NOT the storyline) from Death Note and using them with Bleach characters, mainly Ichigo and Rukia. In fact, most of this story will be told from Rukia's point of view. There'll be no appearances of Light, L or Ryuk so if you're expecting these characters you'll pry be very disappointed. Just giving fair warning! -Miko

**Summary: **I, Rukia Kuchiki, am possessed. It all happened the day I picked up what looked like a regular notebook and became possessed by the orange haired Shinigami who came with it….

* * *

The world, it seems, is full of cruel and sickly twisted ironies. Ironies so truly painful at times that they feel as though they could drain you of everything you have till there's nothing left but an empty, useless shell...waiting to be shattered into oblivion. Why this is…I really can't say for sure but one thing I DO know is…that at this moment in time…I've lived this irony.

I mean, how cruel of an irony is it that the only true and loyal friend I've ever known in this life is death? Probably not nearly as cruel as the fact that my afore mentioned 'friend' is now lying in my arms, broken, bleeding…_dying_.

No…the irony is not lost on someone like me. In fact, the whole situation is so radically bizarre and beyond belief that I open my mouth and allow a strangled scream to escape my lungs. The sound is gut wrenching, even to my own ears, and the head in my lap twitches weakly in response to it.

"R…Ruk..ia?" He groans faintly as I lower my violet eyes to look down at his frightening yet beautiful face.

"Shh…." I whisper shakily as I tenderly stroke my fingers through his silky, fiery orange hair. "Shhh…It's ok. You're going to be ok..." I lie, cringing as I hear my own voice break.

At this point the dark storm clouds over head decide to rumble loudly with pent up thunder and release the steady fall of rain they'd been withholding. The thousands of droplets wash over us, soaking our clothes,rinsing away the blood and hiding the fact that tears are now trailing down my cheeks just as steadily.

He opens his mouth ever so slightly to speak, as though he has something important he wishes to say, but only a soft and weary moan comes out. Instead he tilts his head towards me, leaning weakly into my touch. I hope its as comforting to him as it is to me. We've both endured so much that it's just so wrong that it should end this way.

I vaguely register the laughter that comes from the ones who have brought us both to this point. The ones who have manipulated the two of us like pawns in a grossly messed up game of chess…the entire game already perfectly planned out and flawlessly executed.

I squeeze my eyes shut and drown out the sound as I pray for a miracle I know will never come to the likes of someone such as I. There is no hope for him, and most certainly no hope for me. It's only a matter of time now before this will all be over and he will be lost. And then, ironically…so will I.

After all that I've done, good or bad, right or wrong, there's no possible way that I could ever go back to the way things were before…not that I'd want to. Besides, my own demise was only moments away anyway, written in blood and forever unchangeable. That *is* the way this works after all.

You are probably wondering, just how on earth did I ever reach this point? Its pretty simple really. Everything that's happened up until now can all be easily traced back to that day….a day I will never forget. The day I picked up a Death Note…..

* * *

Curious? Should I continue? Review and let me know if you like the idea or not! -Miko


	2. Finding The Note

***************  
Chapter 1

* * *

_I can't BELIEVE I forgot my umbrella…! I listened to the radio this morning... I KNEW it was supposed to rain! Ugh! _I think to myself as I try reluctantly once more to turn my attention back to our math instructor. There's really no point though, I've got the formula's down pat and know them like the back of my hand. So his incessant rambling just becomes white noise in my ears as I turn back to look out the window.

The sky's unusually overcast for a warm spring day today and more grey clouds gather in threateningly, promising rain at any time. Class is nearly over but the thought of trudging home in the rain leaves me feeling less than enthusiastic.

_My name is Rukia Kuchiki, I'm seventeen years old and a senior this year here at Karakura High School. But despite the fact that its early spring and summer is just around the corner, the end of the school year and likewise my high school career, couldn't feel further away... I detest school with a passion. _

A crumpled up piece of paper hit's the top of my head and bounces onto my desk, interrupting my thoughts, and I turn irritably at the sound of snickering coming from a few desks behind me.

My eyes narrow as I take in the three boys huddled together as they smirk at me knowingly, fighting to hold in their laughter. Shinji Hirako, Yumichika Ayasegawa, and Ikkaku Maderame…jocks from the high school's basketball team. I should have known, they LOVE to pick on anyone who they thought was beneath them…which was basically everyone but other jocks and of course the cheerleaders.

I glare at them angrily as I clench the ball of paper tightly in my fist which only makes their snickering grow louder.

"Is my lecture not interesting enough for you Kuchiki-san?" A stern voice calls from behind me, causing me to jerk around in surprise. Our instructor is glaring down at me and I hear a few more snickers from various classmates.

"I…I.." I hear myself stutter but my mouth has suddenly decided to stop working and I can feel my cheeks flush in embarrassment.

"What's this?" he asks coldly as he suddenly takes the crumpled paper ball from my hand and opens it. His glare turns even harder after reading it, handing the wrinkled sheet back to me.

"Detention. After school. In the Dojo." He practically growls at me as I swiftly look down at the paper, not realizing there had been anything written on it.

My stomach drops and my mouth goes dry as I let my eyes fall back to the paper in my hands. My eyes widen in surprise as I read the foul and explicit testament of how intensely I despise our math instructor and how I'd MUCH rather be screwing Kaien Shiba, captain of the basketball team, than be stuck in this classroom a minute longer.

No wonder I landed detention, the note was beyond filthy and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks once more. _How on earth could ANYONE think that I would write that! _

Unable to help myself I glance a few rows of desks over to look at Kaien who, thankfully, seems to be blissfully unaware of the prank I'm the victim of. Apparently he's to engrossed in whispering back and forth with his real girlfriend, Miyako, to notice anything else going on around him.

I sigh._ He's the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen so *of course* he doesn't take note of me. I doubt he even knows my name. Why would he care when someone like Miyako, head cheerleader extraordinaire, was fawning all over him?_ My eyes narrow as I look at her, unwanted jealousy rising up within me. She was beautiful, the envy of all the girls in our school. Was it any wonder? With her long dark hair that perfectly matched the color of her eyes, her perfect facial features and of course that perfectly toned body… I sigh again.

My hair, though just as dark, was shorter and often times just as stubborn as I am. No matter what I did to it, it would always fall the same way around my shoulders with one obstinate bang refusing to lay anywhere but right between my eyes. Personally I like my facial features but they can't be anything special since I seem to repel just about everyone around me.

I don't know why, but for reasons I just can't explain I've never been very good with people. I guess that would explain why they aren't very good with me either. It's not that I *try* to distance myself from everyone, quite the opposite in fact, but for the life of me I've never seemed to _fit in _anywhere… or _with anyone_ for that matter. Not the cheerleaders, not the geeks, not the jocks, not the preps, blah blah blah. I'm neither popular nor unpopular. I'm just… invisible to most everyone. Pretty pathetic huh? Although, every now and again I entertain the idea that everyone seems to avoid me because I'm smart. REALLY smart. For sure the brightest student in my senior class if you happen to overlook an obnoxious self righteous peer of mine who also happens to be in my same class. If not for Uryu Ishida I'd be *THE* smartest student here. I suppose that could be pretty intimidating right?

The sound of the bell jolts me out of my random thoughts and I swiftly gather my books and head to my locker. If I'm late for detention I'll be in even bigger trouble than I am already!….

* * *

An Hour Later…

I sigh in exhaustion as I raise my right arm up to wipe the sweat from my brow. After an entire hour of scrubbing, the floor of the kendo dojo is clean enough for the students to eat off of! Surprising considering how dirty and smelly it can get in here. Being a former student of kendo myself I know exactly how much sweat and sometimes blood gets shed in here and having to clean it is worse than ANY other form of punishment I could think of.

Our math instructor, being one of the newly appointed kendo instructors this year, apparently knew this as well since he thought it best to slap me with this task as a form of "disciplining" me for my "lack of self control" as he called it. And despite my protests that I had cram school after class in preparation for my senior exams at the end of this semester, and that I would NEVER write such a note, he still refused to listen.

A few minutes ago he stopped by to let me know I was the last one to be leaving the building and asked if I would be good enough to lock up when I was done. Begrudgingly I agreed, the question not really open to discussion. Perhaps, after staring out the window and seeing the sheets of torrential rain falling he had pity on me and asked if I wanted a ride home. But regardless of not having an umbrella, my house being a mile away, and my only means of transport being my own two feet; my stubborn "Kuchiki pride", as I've heard my brother call it, refused to let me accept his offer. I'd been wrongfully accused for crying out loud! The *LAST* person in the world I wanted a ride from was my own personal judge and jury! I'd RATHER walk home in the rain thank you very much!

…But… If I had known what would happen on my way home that night, perhaps I would've rethought my answer…

* * *

_Glowing eyes watched calmly as the petite raven haired girl finally walked out of the building, responsibly locking the doors behind her as she went. With an irritated growl she flipped the hood of her sweatshirt up over her head in a useless effort to shield herself from the rain and then took off towards the football field. It was unclear to the creature what made her so… special. She looked ordinary, weak and boring, not worth wasting time over, and yet his companion had *promised* that not only would they find the excitement he'd been searching for…but they would BOTH get what they want. All that needed to be done was what he was about to do. It was simple really…almost to simple. Still, if it would get him what he wanted then who was he to question it?_

_Refocusing his attention on the girl who was starting to get away from him, he agilely chased after her, leaping effortlessly from rooftop to rooftop. Within moments he had overshot her by several yards and made himself comfortable on the flagpole of a nearby building, waiting for her to pass by._

_With lips twisting into a cruel smile revealing numerous razor sharp teeth he reached down to grasp the book strapped to his side. His laugher echoed pitilessly through the misty night air, unheard by human ears as his pen scratched out the beginnings of a new… game._

* * *

"Damn rain!" I snap to no one but myself as shivers rack my body, no doubt thanks to my soaked school uniform and the unrelenting rain. It's nothing short of a downpour out here with no signs of letting up so after sprinting for a good twenty minutes I slow down to a brisk walk. What's the point of hurrying home anyway?.. I'm already drenched and way past the time I'm _supposed_ to be home. Byakuya, my older brother, doesn't like me to be out past dark and the street lights had been lit for at least an hour now. This makes me cringe. The thought of getting _another _harsh lecture about how irresponsible I am and how dangerous it is for a young woman like me to be wandering the streets alone at night makes me feel sick to my stomach. The relationship between my brother and I is…._complicated _to say the least and _strained _at best….

I stop dead in my tracks as a chill runs down my spine… not from the cold, but from the eerie feeling that someone is watching me. Instantly I whirl around to look behind me and see….nothing. I'm the only one dumb enough to be walking alone in the middle of a rain storm and even the streets have few cars out on them. I'm alone. Still…. I could have sworn I felt someone's eyes boring into me from somewhere.

A loud *splash* causes me to whirl back around to my original position and I frown as I look down to see a notebook lying in a puddle before me that I could have SWORN wasn't there a second ago.

"IS SOMEONE THERE!" I immediately call out loudly, fighting to keep the fear out of my voice as I scan the deserted city streets around me. When no one answers I'm not sure if I should feel relieved or concerned and I look down once more at the notebook at my feet. _Some poor student must have dropped it_ I think to myself as I bend over slowly to pick it up but upon closer inspection I stop and draw my hand back.

DEATH NOTE is boldly printed across the black leather cover in English and again, I feel a chill shoot down my spine.

My face scowls instantly. _Get a GRIP Rukia! It's a NOTEBOOK for heaven's sake!_ I think as I once again reach for it and finally pick it up. Curious as to who it might belong to I turn the cover and search for a name…but all I find is a list of instructions.

How to Use the Death Note:

1) The human whose name is written in this note shall die.

2) This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.

3) If the cause of death is written within the next 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen.

4) If the cause of death is not specified the person will simply die of a heart attack.

5) After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written within the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

_What the Hell!_ I think to myself in both shock and disgust. _What kind of sick mind made up this crap? _I swiftly flip through the sheets of paper inside and find them all to be ordinary looking blank notebook paper. No owner name anywhere.

"HUH! TYPICAL!" I huff loudly to myself. _I wouldn't want something as twisted as this to be traced back to me either! HA! _I think to myself as I shake my head at my own imagination. _As if such a thing could be real. But despite my skepticism I could practically hear my heart pounding rapidly inside myself, which is probably why I didn't notice the sound of a slowly approaching vehicle, nor the man who suddenly grabbed me from behind…_

* * *

Hi everyone! My most sincerest apologies to anyone who has been waiting for me to update this fic! Life has really gotten in my way lately and even my other fic "Dark Side of The Moon" just barely got off of a two month long hiatus. Please forgive me! I know I don't really deserve it but I would *LOOOOVE* to get some feedback from you on this project! I'm really debating with myself whether or not to really continue with this story or take it down. I've never written a story in the first person before and Im afraid I may be killing it!... What do you think? Good? Bad? Continue? Perhaps I'll stick with it a few more chapters till Rukia at least meets Ichigo... Hmm... PLEASE review or PM because it will **ALL** depend upon *YOU* whether or not I keep going with this... THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH for taking the time to read and respond! Stay AWESOME! -Miko_  
_


	3. Kidnapped

**************  
Chapter 2

* * *

My eyes widen in shock and I open my mouth to scream, but my unknown attacker's massive hand swiftly clamps down over it, silencing the sound. Panic surges through me as I feel his other arm wrap tightly around me, effectively pinning my arms to my sides. I start to struggle wildly but with a swift jerk to the right, the man easily picks me up and slams me *hard* into the side of a van I didn't even realize was there.

I see stars for a moment or two and the warm sensation of something wet dripping down my already rain soaked temple makes me feel sick to my stomach. Instantly the van's side door opens and a pair of glove clad hands reaches out to me. The hand clamped on my mouth pulls away and grabs a fistful of my hair, jerking my head back as the pair of reaching hands places a strip of duck tape over my mouth. I try to cry out in pain as the fist in my hair tightens, causing me to see stars again for the second time but the sound is completely muffled by the tape.

With one swift heft my attacker launches me into the van and I crash onto the unforgiving floor of it in a messy heap. My attacker's accomplice swiftly pulls my arms behind my back and begins to tape my wrists together. Instantly my adrenaline kicks back in and I start kicking and thrashing. I smile to myself in satisfaction as I feel my foot connect firmly with something and my attacker starts cursing in a way that would normally have made me blush.

"Stop messing around Yammy and grab her shit! We can't leave evidence behind!" The accomplice snaps and my head jerks up in recognition. Yammy? I knew that name but it did nothing to alleviate my fears. Quite the opposite in fact! I roll partially onto my side to try and catch a glimpse of the man's face. Sure enough my worst nightmares are confirmed.

Suddenly a loud SMACK sends my head spinning and my ears ringing as the accomplice's hand connects painfully with my cheek. In a flash of movement a cold sharp blade is pressed uncomfortably up against my throat and I reflexively swallow back my terror.

"And YOU be a good girl now Kuchiki and stop struggling. Blood stains are _murder _to get out of clothes and this is a new suit." The accomplice threatens cruelly with a laugh as he presses harder on my throat as if to emphasize his point.

My eyes practically bug out of my head as I suddenly recognize this man's face as well. Szayel Espada, a well known member of the Espada family mafia, as was Yammy.

My mind is cart wheeling as the understanding that I am being *KIDNAPPED* by A MAFIA GROUP begins to finally sink in. A mafia group that my older brother Byakuya, for personal reasons, has been relentlessly investigating for years as a member of the Japanese secret police force.

Though my brother tried his best to keep me in the dark about much of the case I would often sneak into his office late at night and study his classified files myself. After all, my reasons were just as personal as his. About a month ago he went undercover on assignment to penetrate the group and expose them for their crimes when the right opportunity presented itself, but as far as I knew that opportunity hadn't come yet!

_SHIT! _I curse mentally again as a thousand different possibilities begin to play through my mind. _Could Byakuya's mission have gone sour? Had he been exposed as an undercover cop? Did they know the truth about him! Did they find out who I am through him! Or is this just a completely random kidnapping!_ Suddenly I was feeling faint…

"I can tell by the look in your eyes that you know who I am. How interesting. Did your brother tell you about us I wonder?" He asks with a knowing smile. I'm POSITIVE my heart stopped beating for a moment as a sickening chill runs down my spine. _My Kami….They KNOW!_ I can feel myself beginning to hyperventilate. This is SOOO not good!

Yammy, his nose bleeding profusely, tosses my dropped school bag into the van furiously, spilling my textbooks, homework, notepads and pens everywhere in the process. Angrily he grabs the duct tape and wraps my ankles together tightly, making sure I didn't kick him again in the process.

Szayel's smile widens as he removes his blade from my neck and steps over me to get into the drivers seat, swiftly starting the engine. Yammy slams the van door shut much more forcefully then necessary and gets into the passenger seat.

I fight to get my breathing under control, knowing that panicking wont help but how could I NOT! They didn't even bother to hide their faces from me which could only mean one thing…they weren't planning on letting me live...

My head throbs painfully and wearily I lay it down, unable to take much more. Then I saw it…

Laying right in front of me, carelessly tossed into the van with the rest of my things… the Death Note! Anger floods through me as my heart starts pounding again with FOOLISH hopes that somehow the idiotic book could somehow be real. Still, I have no other alternatives nor any kind of weapon I could use against them. Byakuya would have my head for letting this happen to me, having taught me self defense himself just in case something like this were to happen. My heart starts to ache at the thought of him… he'd be so ashamed of me right now.

Almost immediately I am overwhelmed by the idea that if Byakuya had been discovered, and if they didn't already have him, then he was no doubt in SERIOUS TROUBLE! I HAD TO *WARN HIM* Anger suddenly tears through me like a wildfire and my eyes narrow in hatred. _DAMN THEM! _I curse inwardly to myself as my protective instincts set me into action.

Quietly I roll to my side and work my taped wrists down towards my legs. _THANK THE KAMI IM SHORT!_ I inwardly praised for probably the first time in my entire life! Getting my taped wrists over my taped ankles wasn't to difficult a task and ever so slowly I reach over to the notebook.

Carefully turning the cover page I reach awkwardly for one of my scattered pens, but as fate would have it they are all cruelly beyond my reach. _DAMN IT! _I inwardly swear to myself as I try and fail yet again to reach one. Suddenly I feel the van take a sharp turn that sets a few of my pencils rolling in my direction. My spirits practically skyrocket as I snatch one and swiftly turn back to the notebook. The page blurs in and out of focus and in the back of my mind I wondered if I have a concussion.

Pushing the thought aside I instantly scrawl Szayel's name into the book according to the instructions and picture his face. Once done I swiftly start Yammy's…

"Just what the _Hell_ you doin!" An enraged voice bellows down at me from the passenger seat. Sweat is pouring down my temples I scrawl out the kanji as fast as I can. Yammy quickly reaches over the seat and once again snatches a fistful of my hair. I whimper in protest as his other hand grabs the book from off of the floor.

As his eyes catch the bold writing on the cover he releases his hold on me and inspects the book more closely as I drop back down to the floor.

"Hey Szayel, can you read English?" he questions dumbly as he turns the book sideways.

"Some. Why?" the pink haired accomplice jibes in annoyance.

"Cuz' the kid wrote our names in here and I can't tell what this says." He mutters as he shoves the book in front of Szayel's face. Szayel suddenly swerves the van while trying to peer around the book to see where he's going and the urge to vomit nearly chokes me.

"DAMMIT YAMMY! I'm *DRIVING* here IDIOT! Get that thing outta my face!"

My heartbeat begins to slow down. Nothings happening. Hasn't it been forty seconds yet?

Pulling the notebook out of his companion's face Szayel glances at the book out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly he starts laughing! "What the hell is a Death Note?" he questions over his shoulder, I'm assuming at me. _Like I can really answer you ASSHOLE!_ I think lividly.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Szayel reaches over with one hand and flips open the cover. Sure enough he sees his and Yammy's names written. His eyes widen though as they scan the inner cover's instructions.

"The human whose name is written in this note..shall..die?" he mutters aloud. "What the fu….ARGH!" he starts to scream while instantly clutching his chest. My eyes widen in utter shock as the van suddenly swerves out of control.

"SZAYEL, WHAT THE HELL ARE YO…AAAARGH!" Yammy starts screaming as well.

I curl into the fetal position as I feel the van begin to spin out wildly, no doubt hydroplaning from the rain and I pray to any kami listening that we don't flip over… Miraculously, we don't! My body is slammed into the seats as the van smashes fiercely into the side of something, sending us spinning even faster in the opposite direction before finally coming to a stop.

Shaking uncontrollably I oh so slowly uncurl myself and hesitantly look up to the front seats. Both my kidnappers are sagging lifelessly against their shoulder straps, eyes wide yet unseeing. My heart is hammering uncontrollably and again I feel the urge to vomit. Swiftly I reach up and barely tear the tape off of my mouth in time to do just that.

Weakly I sit up and fight to stay conscious. _I've GOT to get out of here!_ I think wildly as I reach down and start biting at the tape on my wrists. It takes me seconds to free myself and in that moment I could literally feel the shock starting to set in. I swiftly gather up all my dropped belongings thinking to myself that _NO ONE _could know what I've done or that I was even here!

Finally, after taking several deep breaths, I muster the courage to reach over the seats and snatch the dropped Death Note. I turn my head to get a better look at my kidnappers. With the deployed airbags, shattered windshield and smashed in dashboard, the two of them were a pretty cut up, and bloody mess. Not that that mattered though…they were dead before the van had stopped moving. Though I'm still shaking and my heart is racing my eyes narrow coldly.

"So much for you new suit asshole!" I snarl harshly before shakily exiting the van. To my utter surprise we had crashed in the middle of a deserted ally. _Had no one seen us! _I think in pure astonishment. Staggering to the end of the alley I search for the nearest street sign, Byakuya now filling my every thought. _I *HAVE* to find my way home….._

* * *

After several minutes of wandering I realized that my former kidnappers must have been taking side roads and back alleys in order to avoid any suspicion of what they had done. It was still pouring rain outside and the streets were completely deserted. Not even a single car was in sight and I wasn't sure if I felt more relief or anxiety about it. Thankfully I finally stumbled onto a street I recognized and after half walking, half running, half staggering for what seemed like an eternity I finally dragged my dripping and disheveled body across the threshold of the apartment my brother and I share.

"BYAKUYA!" I cry hoarsely, hoping against hope that he was somehow home and safe.

Nothing but silence greeted me as I ran from room to room flipping the lights on, my unease growing substantially by each passing second.

"*NII-SAMA*!" I finally scream in desperation at the top of my lungs as the last of my adrenaline leaves me, sending me to my knees on the cold hardwood floor. Every room checked and disappointingly empty.

Tears sting my eyes but I refuse to let them fall. I CANNOT help my brother if I allow myself to fall apart now! I gulp in huge lungfuls of air to calm myself and clear my thoughts. I need to FOCUS!

Slowly standing up I make my way towards the bathroom. I need to clean myself up and calm down so I can figure out what to do next….

* * *

….The hot water felt good as it soothed sore muscles, eased the tension from my body and washed the blood from my wounds, yet my mind had refused to slow down. My brother wasn't home, but that didn't mean anything. Ever since he went undercover he hasn't dared to set one foot back in our apartment, for fear of getting me involved. It was irrational of me to think he would've been here, but despite his absence that doesn't mean he's left me completely. He always makes it a point to call every night to check up on me from random payphones, making his calls difficult to monitor.

My eyes instantly widen at the thought! _What if he left me a message! _"IM SUCH AN IDIOT!" I burst out loud to no one as I hastily wrap a towel around me and run for the living room phone.

I don't even bother to turn on the light as I nearly crash into the wall, my eyes devouring the little black message machine attached to our telephone. To my overwhelming joy my violet eyes register the fact that the tiny message light is blinking. "Please…" I whisper as I press the play button. The machine states I have two new messages and promptly plays the first of the two.

As an advertisement from a cable company fills the silence in my living room I growl angrily as I impatiently hit the delete button and eagerly await the next message.

My heart begins to beat faster as my brother's voice then fills the air but his usual cool and detached voice harbors urgency.

"Rukia? Rukia are you there? ANSWER THE PHONE RUKIA!" My brother demands angrily and I am shocked to hear him sound this way. I then hear him sigh heavily in the background and continue on. "Rukia, I don't have time to explain so I need you to listen very carefully. You are in grave *danger* and as soon as you get this message you need to leave our apartment IMMEDIATELY! Get down to the station and tell my partner that I….." A sudden loud crack reverberates in the background and the line goes dead.

It dawns on me then that at some point during the message I had started biting my lip, and its not till the coppery taste of blood tingles on my tongue that I release it and raise a hand to cover my mouth in shock.

_I can't hardly believe what I've just heard. Nii-sama…He's in trouble, maybe badly hurt… maybe even dead? NO!_ I shake my head angrily. _My brother is a strong man, he wont be taken down so easily. But what can I do! How can I help him!_ Then… for some unknown reason, my eyes turn slowly to look at my dropped book bag in the corner. A sudden flash of lightening strikes outside, flooding the room with a brief yet intense blast of light.

Swiftly I dart over to the bag and bend down, sifting my hand through it till it makes contact with what I was searching for. Slowly, hesitantly, I pull the item from my bag.

Another flash of lightening illuminates the cover, forebodingly declaring to me exactly what it's purpose is. An icy chill runs down my spine and suddenly one of the living room windows bursts open, the wind and rain sending the curtains whipping and flapping around wildly as the raging storm outside seems to invade me home.

Still clutching the book, I run to the offending window, fighting the curtains to get to the pane back into place. Once locked, the curtains still once more though the sound of billowing clothe still fills my ears.

My heart instantly begins pounding sporadically within my chest as I realize that I am no longer *alone* in the room. Gripping the Death Note for dear life I instantly whirl around to confront my intruder. What I see makes my mouth drop open in *sheer terror* though no scream escapes my lips. Its almost as if I've become paralyzed by my own stark horror.

Standing before me is what I can only describe as a _monster_. Perhaps a demon although until this very moment I had _NEVER _harbored the idea that such things even existed. But exist it did, as it stood in a far dark corner of the room, its black robes flowing around him of their own accord in great and terrible majesty.

The creature resembled the devil himself as my eyes roamed over two wicked looking horns at the crown of his head, his eyes glowing an unearthly, feral yellow against nothing but blackness for sockets. His face and body are bone white; appropriate actually since his face resembled that of a grinning skull. Black markings ran down it's face and onto its chest, converging around a hole that seemed to go right through his body. It seemed to be made of raw muscle and pure power as its golden gaze upon me seemed to pierce my very soul. But, perhaps the most distinguishing feature of this demonic being was the fiery orange hair that spilled magnificently down its back and shoulders.

As though sensing my horror stricken state the creature reached forth a large, white, taloned hand and demanded in a voice that shook the very ground on which I stood_, "*GIVE. ME. THE. DEATH NOTE*!"_

* * *

_Well guys? Should I keep going? I'm really not joking when I say that Im seriously considering tossing out this fic altogether. I have a TON of other fic ideas that I want to get to so unless I get some really positive feedback from you (my dear readers) then this fic is going to the trash bin. Want me to keep going? *PLEASE* let me know by reviewing. -Miko_

_For those of you who HAVE reviewed/faved/alerted for this story, *THANK YOU*! Your support encourages me to keep going when Im not sure if I should! YOU'RE *AWESOME*!_


	4. The Shinigami

The creature resembled the devil himself as violet eyes roamed over two wicked looking horns at the crown of his head. "*GIVE. ME. THE. DEATH NOTE*!" It demanded…

* * *

_It TALKS! _I balk to myself in stupefied horror. So completely overwhelmed am I by the shock of this revelation I instantly drop the Note and slowly back away, too scared out of my wits to even remember how to run.

Faster than my eyes can follow the monster is suddenly standing directly before me, where only a moment ago he had been on the other side of the room. Never taking it's angry glowing eyes off me it stoops down and swiftly scoops up the Death Note in it's large taloned hand.

With a quick flick of elongated fingers it's eyes finally leave me to look down and scan the pages within. Almost instantly the air in the room grows impossibly colder as those same glowing eyes instantly snap back up, blazing even hotter and angrier than they were before.

"THERE ARE _NAMES_ WRITTEN HERE!" It roars furiously while taking a step closer to me. "IT'S NOT EVEN OUT OF MY HANDS FOR A FEW HOURS AND YOU'VE ALREADY USED IT TO _KILL_!"

This time I actually manage to scream as his powerful voice shakes me to the core. Beyond terrified I jerk backwards and crash into the wall dividing the living room from my bedroom. Instinctively I raise one hand to grasp the bath towel more tightly around me. The sense of being nearly naked, vulnerable and entirely defenseless before this creature causes me to shake uncontrollably.

"WHO. GAVE. YOU. THIS!" It seethed, enunciating each word sharply, as though it were speaking to small child…or an idiot.

"I.. I found it!" I choke out pathetically, somehow managing to answer the question it demands.

My reply however must not have pleased the hellish demon for it whirled to the side and raked the claws of it's free hand down the front of its face harshly as though struggling to get a grip on it's emotions and failing miserably.

"Dammit!" it hisses to itself before whirling back to face me. "Do you have _any_ idea what you've _done_!" it seethes, now stalking dangerously closer. With a loud _snap_ it shuts the Note closed, gripping the cover so tightly it's fist is literally shaking.

But the instant those words leave it's mouth something inside of me _snaps_ as well and without thinking I instantly rise to me feet and stomp towards it just as furiously, angry words spewing from my mouth so rapidly that I can't possibly seem to stop them.

"What_ I've _done!" I spit back venomously, my overwhelming grief and indescribable pain combining to drown out all the fear that seemed to suffocate me moments ago. "I did what I _had_ to in order to _save my life_! If I hadn't used that..that..THING!.." I shriek while slamming my index finger into the Note gripped in it's hand so forcefully that I drive it into the creature's chest. "…I would surely be lying dead in a ditch somewhere!"

The beast's eyes widen in shock at my unexpected outburst but I'm far from finished!

"No one _gave_ me that notebook, I _found _it which means it _belongs_ to _ME!" _I snarl angrily. Without warning I instantly reach out and rip the object from its hand and hold the book against me tightly. "This _thing_ is dangerous and I won't allow it to fall into the wrong hands! I don't know who or what you even are, but until I figure out just what the hell is going on _no one _touches this thing you got that! How _DARE_ you break into my home and pass judgement on me you MONSTER!" I scream with all the air left inside my lungs and suddenly I feel dizzy all over again.

The menacing creature looks as though I've just slapped it in the face and the room suddenly seems to tilt at a funny angle. I can feel myself starting to wheeze and I unconsciously recognize that I may be having a panic attack. I start to sway and to my utter surprise the monster steps towards, arm outstretched as though preparing to catch me if I fell.

"Sit down." It orders coldly and I end up doing just that. The hardwood floor is freezing to the touch on my bare skin and I finally notice that my wet hair has been dripping steadily ever since I ran out of the bathroom. Vaguely and uselessly I make myself a mental note to mop up the floor before someone slips.

Suddenly I feel the weight of it's eyes upon me and shakily I look up to see the beast's gleaming yellow orbs analyzing me, an unreadable scowl on it's wicked looking face. For the strangest reason I suddenly feel extremely exposed. Embarrassed, I notice the heat of a flush warm my cheeks. "What are you staring at you pervert!" I snap, surprising both myself and my unwelcome guest.

"Im not a pervert you pathetic idiot!" The beast spits back before swiftly turning its head away despite it's claim. "You look like you're gonna pass out." It states irritably after a moment but in a much quieter tone and I let out a cold scoff at his keen ability to state the obvious.

"Ya think!" I retort as I try to get my breathing under control. I must have hit my head a lot harder than I thought. _Now Im not only dizzy but Im hallucinating! This thing standing before me arguing with me can't possibly be real! Can it? This has got to be a dream, no, a nightmare and I refuse to let my subconscious leave me vulnerable_. Slowly, shakily, I rise to my feet and head towards the bedroom.

"Just where do you think you're going!" The orange haired demon yells as I barely acknowledge him. After all, he's only a figment of my imagination…right?

"Im going to go change, so don't even _think_ about following me!" I snap before instantly slamming my bedroom door shut. As an after thought I suddenly jerk the door back open. "And you'd better be gone from this nightmare by the time Im done!" I snap at him again as I slam the door shut even harder this time.

Complete denial swims through my brain as I toss the Note on my bed, dig through my underwear drawer, locate my personal items and then hunt through my other drawers for something decent to wear. Any moment now I'll wake up and laugh at having had such a ridiculous dream. Throwing on a pair of comfortable jeans, a white-shirt and my favorite violet zip up hoodie I walk out of my bedroom to still see the creature standing off to the side of the room as though waiting for me.

"You're still here?" I practically growl as I towel dry my hair, wincing as I accidentally rub the spot where my head collided with a van only hours ago.

The creature turns to me and watches as I head towards the kitchen and pull open the refrigerator door. _Perhaps if I just ignore "it" long enough this monster of my own imagination will once again return to whatever dark corner of my mind it crawled out from_. The light from the fridge clicks on but before I can even catch a glimpse of what's inside the door is instantly slammed shut, a large white fist pressed firmly against it.

Hot breath tickles the back of my neck and a harsh voice whispers into my ear. "I understand that after stealing the lives of two human beings and somehow avoiding your own demise would make anyone wish that this was all just one messed up dream, but I can assure you that I am _very_ real. You would do well to remember that, human."

A chill raced down my spine as goose bumps shot up my arms. With a gasp I jerk swiftly away from the beast who now watches me with an air of satisfied bemusement. My anger and pride, incensed by this demon's arrogant attitude, cause me to scowl in response and lift my head up in defiance. "My _name_ is Rukia, Rukia Kuchiki." I correct with conviction, my voice suddenly strong and sure. The monster's head pulls back in surprise, clearly not expecting my reaction. A moment passes as we simply stare at each other, his hesitation to reply strongly overshadowed by the fiery gaze that refused to drop from my own.

Finally the beast takes a half step forward, the folds of his black shroud following his every move like tendrils of thick smoke. "My name is Kurosaki…. Kurosaki the shinigami."

A sudden burst of thunder from the storm outside shakes the apartment windows yet again and I feel heart skip a beat at this revelation. I swallow hard as I feel all the blood drain from my face. _A shinigami! Such creatures actually exist? _I shake my head imperceptibly asmy logical mind fights to wrap around the absurdity of such an idea.

At that moment a sudden sharp knock at the door shatters the silence that had now engulfed the room. I jump with a start and whirl around to face the door, a thousand different questions now racing through my head. _Who could it possibly be at this hour! The police? The mafia? Friend? Foe? Do I dare answer! Do I not! What do I do! _And then a thought entered my mind that sent me silently sprinting to the door despite the potential danger on the opposite side…._What if it's Byakuya?_

Taking a very deep breath and pressing my body up against the door I push myself up to look through the peep hole, my jaw dropping in surprise…..

* * *

Hi everyone, my deepest and sincerest apologies to anyone who has been waiting for an update on this story and any of my others you may be keeping tabs on. Life has gotten in the way of my writing as it often does but I've been trying hard this summer to find time to work on new updates. I know this chapter is pretty short in comparison to most of the chapters I write but its been sitting on the backburner for a while now and I just had to finally finish it and publish it. I hope you're pleased with where this is going and I'd LOVE to hear from you on whether or not this story is worth trying to continue. Thank you so very much to all of you who have taken the time to read this story and review, your support means *everything* and gives me the motivation to keep going! I'll do my best to keep updating as quickly as possible! Thank you once again (bows respectfully). -Miko


End file.
